1) Sony is willing to, like the 2000s, take a hit on profits per console to get more consoles sold. We all know inflation has gone up, parts have gone up, US's whole thing. Switch 2's cost is about right as it should be, it's brand new technology and the cost is reasonable in my view, the Xbox however is now 5 year old teach with a price increase, that's a little odd. As technology has increased, this also means prices usually come down. This gen has sucked for that for various reasons and while I do think part of it is the companies wanting money, I also think there are a lot of other factors. Switch after adding the OLED version barely ever reduced in cost in 7 years and that's even before covids.
2) By everyone you mean corporate greed of major companies? Yes but I also think consoles are being made at the cost these companies can make them and really not much cheaper without. The redicolous Pro cost and people comparing the parts for comparison was a sign of this.
My biggest worry however, isn't this gen, it's next. If prices are not coming down due to natural cheapness of parts or increase in technology over time like it used to do, then how are Sony or MS going to justify in 3 or so years at the start of the next gen the cost of consoles being the same or just a bit more than what they are now? MS (the richest company in the world) is not willing to sacrifice the profits on consoles sold just to get units in people's hands, are consoles really expected to reduce in cost but such a margin in that time that when the next gen starts it won't be $600-700? Because that price point is honestly unreal.
